Musician&#39;s foot rest



1964 w. BERG 3,155,364

MUSICIAN'S FOOT am Filed Jan. 26. 1962 INVENTOR.

W/L L 55/?6.

United States Patent 3,155,364 MUSICIANS FOQT REST Willie Berg, 9223 Clyde Ave, Chicago 17, ill. Filed Jan. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 168,991 2 Claims. (0. 248-439) The present invention is directed to a device adapted particularly for use by musicians and particularly for musicians who play such string instruments as guitars or the like.

During the playing of such instruments, they are placed upon the thigh of the musician and it occurs that after a substantial length of time pressure on the circulatory system causes numbness and similar distraction from the music being played.

The present invention is intended and adapted to provide a device which overcomes the difiiculties previously encountered in this respect, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a device in the nature of a foot rest, which will avoid or prevent the aforesaid numbness.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the type described, which is simple in construction, convenient to use and which may be folded into compact position for transportation and storage.

In practicing the present invention, there is provided a plate upon which the foot of the musician is adapted to be placed. On the under side of the plate there are provided a pair of leg members at opposite ends, each of the leg members consisting preferably of a pair of feet. The members are so pivoted to the plate that they may be folded inwardly to contact the under side thereof and form a compact package. Means are provided whereby when the foot rest is in operative position, there is a locking of the members so as to avoid possibility of folding or collapsing thereof.

The invention is more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, and in which FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in the operative position;

FIG. 2 is a bottom elevational view of the foot rest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view thereof with the leg members in folded position;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the foot rest as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of one of the feet of the foot rest, showing a modified form thereof.

The device consists of a relatively flat plate 1 having a series of transverse ribs 1 to provide friction in order to avoid slipping of the foot on the plate. The rear of plate 1 has a stop 2 into which the heel of the musicians shoe fits. Depending from plate 1 are lateral flanges 3 and end flanges 4.

A pair of leg members 5 and 6 are pivoted to depending brackets 7 and 9 by means of pivots 8 and 10, respectively. Front end 11 of the foot rest is at a higher level than rear end 2 in order to avoid strain on the foot. ing bracket 7 slightly longer than bracket 8, with leg members 5 and 6 of the same length.

This is accomplished as shown in FIG. 1, by mak- 6 3,155,364 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 As shown particularly in FIG. 4, the leg members consist of a pair of spaced feet 12 and 13 united at the upper end by web 14 and adjacent to the lower end by integral bar 15. A pair of bosses 16 at the upper end provides a pintle for pivots 8 and 10.

Converging edges 17 adjacent the upper end of said leg members forms a wedge shaped recess therein. Depending from plate 1 immediately above the leg members is an extension 18. The outer edges 19 thereof converge and are adapted to fit into converging edges 17 of the leg members. When the device is to be placed in operative position, the user grasps bars 15 and pulls them apart, causing faces 17 and 19 to frictionally engage and lock the leg members in position. As shown in FIG. 1, said members extend outwardly on both ends of the foot rest, thus stabilizing the same.

With reference to FIG. 6, it is sometimes desirable to provide means for altering the height of plate 1 and this may be accomplished by forming the feet as represented by foot 12' with a hollow portion 21 into which the upper portion 22 of the foot is adapted to frictionally engage. A set screw 23 is adapted to hold the elements in adjusted position.

Although the invention has been described setting forth two specific embodiments thereof, the invention is not limited to the details described in connection with the drawing. For instance, instead of wedge faces 17 and. 19, other devices adapted to act as stop members may be provided. The width of the leg members may be varied and they may be sufiiciently narrow so as to fit within flanges 3 of plate 1. Other means for adjusting the height of the leg members may be used. The shape of the several elements and the size thereof may be altered at will.

These and other changes may be made within the spirit of the invention, which is to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A foot rest for musicians comprising, a plate on which a foot is rested, a pair of leg members at opposite ends of the plate and pivoted to the under side of the plate, at least one of the leg members having two feet connected at the top by a web, said web having a depressed central portion between the feet, said depressed portion being defined by converging sides, a stop on the under side of the plate, said stop being substantially wedge-shaped to thereby provide it with opposite inclined surfaces, said leg member when in the plate supporting position having its depressed central portion on its cross bar brought into wedging engagement with the inclined surfaces on the stop to thereby maintain the leg member in extended plate-supporting position.

2. A foot rest for musicians as provided for in claim 1, wherein the stop is located between the pivot for the leg member and the end of the plate and whereby the stop becomes positioned between the feet of the leg member when the leg member is disposed in its extended, plate-supporting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,396 Spoljar June 8, 1909 1,680,065 Proctor Feb. 10, 1927 2,817,567 Shepherdson Dec. 24, 1957 2,917,104 Cottle Dec. 15, 1959 

1. A FOOT REST FOR MUSICIANS COMPRISING, A PLATE ON WHICH A FOOT IS RESTED, A PAIR OF LEG MEMBERS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE PLATE AND PIVOTED TO THE UNDER SIDE OF THE PLATE, AT LEAST ONE OF THE LEG MEMBERS HAVING TWO FEET CONNECTED AT THE TOP BY A WEB, SAID WEB HAVING A DEPRESSED CENTRAL PORTION BETWEEN THE FEET, SAID DEPRESSED PORTION BEING DEFINED BY CONVERGING SIDES, A STOP ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE PLATE, SAID STOP BEING SUBSTANTIALLY WEDGE-SHAPED TO THEREBY PROVIDE IT WITH OPPOSITE INCLINED SURFACES, SAID LEG MEMBER WHEN IN THE PLATE SUPPORTING POSITION HAVING ITS DEPRESSED CENTRAL PORTION ON ITS CROSS BAR BROUGHT INTO WEDGING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INCLINED SURFACES ON THE STOP TO THEREBY MAINTAIN THE LEG MEMBER IN EXTENDED PLATE-SUPPORTING POSITION. 